Headlight for vehicles.



F. H. RUTHERFOHD.

' HEADUGHT Foa VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.'4. 1914.

Patented Jan. 23,1917.

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FRANK H. BUTHERFORD, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HEADLIGHT FOR VEHICLES.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

Application mea December 4, 1911. serial No. 875,416.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, FRANK H. RUTHER- roRD,a citizen of the United States, residing at' Chicago,- in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, ,have invented new and useful Improvements in Headlights for Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a full, clear,

. and exact description.

My invention relates to head-lights for Vehicles, and particularly automobiles and locomotives and other vehicles requiring at night illumination of the road in front of them.

Heretofore one-half of the rays of light from an ordinary automobile headlight were vprojected forward and scattered in every direction, and the other half projected rearward and 'struck the deflector by which latter they were deiected forward; Much of the illuminating eilicacy of the lamp to light the road in front of the vehicle vwas, therefore, lost.

The object of my invention is to confine and concentrate the forwardly projecting rayS as well as the rearwardly projecting rays of the light, and to direct them straight forward at a suitable downwardangle, so that they will not only illumine the road, but being below the line of vision of those in front of the lamp will not'blind them. This I accomplish. by the means herein'- after fully described, and as particularly pointed out in the claims. t

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig.. 2 is' a front view of the same. Fig.' 3 is a longitudinal central section thereof. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of my invention.

The casing of my improved headlight consists of vertical parallel metal side-walls a, a, which are connected by a suitable sheet metal strip, which latter is bent to form a fiat bottom b, and a back c that extends from the rear edge of the bottom upward to and over the floor or bottom of the casing to form the top or roof d of the same.

The upperedges vof the side-walls extend forward beyond the transverse vertical `plane of the front edges of the bottom and thevcasing and terminates a short distance `in front of the back of the casing. The

front edge of the bottom of said casing is bent upward or it has a transverse vertical Wall arising therefrom that constitutes a screen B, and back of this screen and, preferably, at the bend or angle at the juncture of the bottom vand back of -the casing, a suitable lamp-G is placed that has a reflector G back of it. I vprefer to employ a parabola reflector and to so incline the same that both the direct rays of light Aand the reflected rays of light will be projected upward and forward against the reflector C. The latter will deflect the rays of light forward and downward from the lamp, substantially as shown in dotted lines, and will light up the roadway immediately in fro-nt of the head-light and will not blind and confuse those in front of it because the light will be below their line of vision. In this way the benefit of all of the rays of light generated in the lamp,-both those projecttrack and collateral objects `will not be subject to such bright light as to produce dark shadows, the movement of which, as the locomotive passes, are very bewildering and subject lthose desiring to cross the track to great danger because of their inability to gage the distance the approaching train is.

away fromthem.

As it may occasionally be desired to project the light forward a greater distance than it is wanted in cities, particularly when traveling on country roads,l I: have provided a suitable standard or support for the casing of the lamp by means of which it can be adjusted in any 'position desired to accomplish this result. This support comprises astandard- E the upper end of which is, preferably, forked and provided with bearings in which a rock-shaft or spindle k is journaled, and angular lugs e, e, fastened tov and projecting down from the floor of the bottom of the casing between whichthe forked upper end of the standard is interposed and pivotally mounted by fitting the oppositely projecting ends of the rock-shaft forward fiom'the bottom of the casing, and

at a suitable point below the plane of the' spindle this arm is provided with a rearwardly extending segment g"which rpa sses through a suitable opening in standard E. When the casing is adjusted so as to provject the lightl forward at the angles desired,

a set-screw f is screwed against and clamps the segment g of arm F securely so as to maintain the casing and lamn in the position desired.

In Fig. 4, I'show a modified form of my invention. and bottom of the casing is made of a U- shaped metal strip 2, and the lamp 3 with its parabola reflector is seated in the bend of said U-shaped strip and projects its rays upward against a deflector whichdeflects the light downward. In this modification, the

forward arm 4 of the U--shaped strip of sheet metal forming the bottom and back acts as a screen to hide the lamp and pre Vvent the direct rays of light therefrom beingseen in a direct line in front of the lamp.

I do not desire to be confined to the exact construction of my improved lamp, as shown and described, the essential features ofwhich are a hidden lamp and an overhead reflector for deflecting the rays of said lamp forward.

closed within said casing which concentrates and throws the rays of light upwardly. and

forwardly against said upper refiector.

Q ,A device of'the class described comprising a suitable casing, a lamp inclosed within said casing, an upper forwardly eX- tending upwardly inclined reflector arranged to project the light forward from the upper part of Asaid casing, and a lower parabola reflector within which said lamp is placed which is inclosed within the lower part of j said casing and which throws the rays of light upwardly and forwardly against said upper reflector.

3. A device of the class described comprising a closed hollow casing having an upper.A

In this modification, the back;

opening in its front, an upper reflector extending rearwardly and downwardly through the top of said opening into said casing, a lower parabola reflector within the -lower closed portion of said casing, and a lamp within said parabola reflector which latter refiects and concentrates the light upwardly reflector.

4. A device of the class described compris-l ing a hollow casing having an' upper front opening for. the passageof light rays, an upper reflector extending within the casing and rearwardly and downwardly fromy the top of said opening to near the rear of said casing, a lower parabolak reflector within the lower portion of the casing and arranged to and forwardlyV againstpsaid upper reflect light rays upwardly and forwardly i upon the upper reflector, and a suitable lamp within and surrounded by the parabolare- `iector; said lamp and parabola reflector being concentric.

5.V A device of the class described comprising a hollow casing having an upper front opening closed by a transparent window, l

and an opaque wall beneath said opening, a'n upper reflector extending within the casing and rearwardly and downwardlyfrom the top of said'opening, a lower parabola reflector located within the lower portion of the casing and concealed behind the opaque front wall thereof, and a suitable lamp with# in the parabola reflector, .said lamp and parabola reflector being arranged to cast and reflect thel light rays upwardly and forwardly upon the upper reflector.

6. A device of the class described comprising a casing having an upper front window, a reflector located in the upper portion of the casing in the rear of the window, a parabola reflector locatedin the lower portonof vthe casing, and a lamp surrounded by the parabola .refiector; said -lamp and parabola reflectorlbeing arranged to cast and reflect the rays of light upwardlyand forwardly upon Y the reflector, and said reflector -being arranged to receive and deflect the light rays outwardly through the front window in the;

casing.

In witness whereof I'have hereunto set'my hand this 25thday of November, 1914.

FRANK H. RUTHERFORD.'

'Witnesses i i FRANK D. THoMAsoN, FLORENCE MITCHELL. 

